11
Aug

A clogged toilet is a common plumbing problem. Unfortunately, almost all incidences are inconvenient and they happen at the most unexpected times. Have you ever experienced having a clogged toilet in Baytown? It happened to me once, just when I had friends sleeping over. The experience left me with so much wisdom about clogged toilets, haha! So now, I’m sharing with you the easy steps I did to fix it.

Before you begin, keep in mind that you ought not flush a clogged toilet constantly. Or else, it will overflow and flood your bathroom flooring.

Set up old newspapers on the bathroom floor to shield it from unintended overflows and splashes.

Guard yourself from bacteria by wearing rubber gloves. You may also choose to wear worn-out clothes that you can easily dispose of just in case it gets soiled.

Collect cold water in a bucket and dump it into the toilet bowl from chest level. This should be done rapidly and with some force, but still carefully not to splash water to the floor. Do not overfill the toilet. Notice first if the water descends. If not, stop transferring.

Go for a bucket of hot water combined with dishwashing liquid this time. See if this does the trick.

In the event that the clog continues, use a toilet rubber plunger. Put petroleum jelly on the cup’s edge before plunging. This will keep the air from getting out of.

Your final option will be a plumber’s snake. Put in the metal coil into the toilet’s drain and try to press the object that’s causing the clog farther down the drain. Plumber’s snake can be found in most hardware stores.

If all else goes wrong, there could be something greater than a clog that’s leading to your toilet to act up. It would be better to call a licensed Baytown plumber to examine what’s causing the issue. Plumbers 911 Texas can refer the most reliable professional plumbers in Baytown. All you have to do is call (409) 237-3137 to ask for a free quote and to schedule an appointment.

22
Jun

Drain clogs are not surprising at all. Over time, your drains will get blocked up due to several possible factors such as the accumulation of soap or shampoo scum, food particles, grease, hair or sometimes, even foreign objects that have accidentally infiltrated the pipes. Fortunately, it is easy to get rid of blockages especially if you have the right tools. Among the popular ways of unclogging drainpipes include the use of drain rods.

What are drain rods?

Drain rods are stiff yet flexible rods that are about one meter long per stick but they can be screwed together to reach further down the drain. They are also often made from polypropylene material but some of the expensive types are made from steel. They usually come in sets and are available in blue or black colors. These rods are designed with unblocking tools which can either be a pivoting metal plate or an auger. The first one is great for dragging or scraping anything out of the pipes. The second one is designed to break through clogs and hook out substances.

How do you use drain rods?

Wear your protective rubber gloves.

Screw your drain rods together to reach into the drain. Make sure that the ends of the rods are screwed together in a clockwise manner. This will lock both ends tightly.

Insert one end of the rod in the drain hole until you reach the blockage. Push the rod into the solid in order to loosen it up. Keep on driving the rod forward until the blockage breaks into smaller pieces or until it flows through the pipes.

If you feel like you have caught something sticky, slowly pull out the rod and dispose the waste properly. You might want to wash the rods to avoid putting the substances back inside the pipes.

Run the tap to wash the sediments inside the drain and test if the clog has been removed. If the clog still exists, insert your drain rods once again and repeat the clearing process. Should you feel like the clog has moved further down or pass a trap or a curve, remove the rod and use a natural drain cleaner such as baking soda and vinegar.

After zapping the waste substances with your baking soda and vinegar, run the tap and test again for leaks.

9
Jan

As you might have noticed, I have been writing about plumbing for quite a while now. It’s just something that I have been doing a lot lately after experiencing issues at home, one after another.

I am in my early 20s, and I live alone in my home in Kansas so I have no choice but to deal with any problem on my own – except when I possibly can’t, in which case I would gladly hire an expert to do the job for me. That’s what any responsible grown-up would do, right?

Pardon my frequent mention of the word ‘adult’ or ‘grownup’. I have honestly moved out of my parents’ house over a year ago, and that’s only because I was kicked out. How tragic! But no worries, point taken. I can do things mostly by myself now and I couldn’t be prouder.

One of the few things I learned from my experiences is that it’s fine to do-it-yourself, but do yourself a favor and do these things first before hiring a plumber in Shawnee.

Familiarize yourself with your home’s plumbing system. This is better done before an actual emergency, but if you are having minor issues right now, it is still not too late to learn about it.

Do your own research. These days, information is all in the web. Some say, “Everyone can be an expert.” So spend some time learning about how things work, and about what or what not to do while tackling any plumbing job.

About that “Everyone can be an expert” thing, I just have to mention that again in case you take it the wrong way. You can be a great DIY plumber, but there is always something that is best left to the real pros. And please don’t call yourself an expert unless you really are.

DIY safely, and if all else fail, hire a plumber in Shawnee, KS. Plumbers 911 is the most reliable company I have hired so far, and trust me in this; they are the perfect one to call if you need a licensed technician to maintain your plumbing fixtures or do repairs in your home. Call them at: (816) 429-1638.

Thanks for reading this far and I hope you learned from these tips. Peace out! – Mark

PS. Check out this video to know a few more things about Plumbers 911:

25
Jan

A hot water heater is a valuable appliance that you should have at home. It will absolutely provide you a great deal of convenience especially during the cold winter months when water enters your home at relatively low temperatures. And while the water heater is indispensable, it isn’t surprising that not all households have one. That’s because the said appliance is quite an expensive investment. New units range from $300 to $2500 and this cost is something that not every homeowner can afford. Anyway, if you are looking for a new electric hot water heater now, it is your lucky day because I’ll be sharing some tips on how to choose the right type and model for your home. But first things, first. Learn about the anatomy of the said appliance so that you’ll know how it works.

Household electric hot water heaters come with tanks, or without. The ones with tanks heat up a given volume of water and then keep it at the temperature you preset with a thermostat. The ones without tanks heat the water only when a hot water faucet is opened. These are called tankless, or, on-demand water heaters. The anatomies of the two types are different.

Electric water heaters with tanks use a glass lining inside the tank to minimize buildup of corrosion and extend the life of the tank. It is not unusual for the tanks to be warrantied for eight years or more. These tanks typically come in 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-gallon sizes, although it is possible to get bigger ones. Tanks also have a thin insulating material between the tank and the external jacket of the heater. This insulation reduces conductive heat loss.

If you read the entire article, you’ll know that electric hot water heaters can be tankless or tank-type. A tankless water heater only warms water by demand which produces less heat loss. The electric water heating unit also features one or two heating elements which are located at the top or bottom part of the unit. To control the temperature of the water, there’s a thermostat that you can configure. If you’ll buy the tank-type water heater, the pressure in the tank must be released once in a while to prevent it from overheating or from getting damaged. This is accomplished through its T&P valve. These are just some of the parts of the appliance that you’ll have to be fully familiar with to be able to perform proper troubleshooting and maintenance. Now before you purchase a water heater, read this buying guide first.

You probably don’t think about your water heater until a cold shower suggests you need a new one. How to choose? Storage tanks cost less but tankless heaters save energy by only heating the water you draw. Hybrid electric/heat-pump models and solar water heaters are two newer options.

Before you shell out hundreds for a storage-tank heater or thousands for a tankless or solar model, see whether your old water heater can be fixed. A corroded storage-tank model is history. But a leaky drain or pressure-relief valve or a burned-out heating element can often be fixed. Rule of thumb: Consider a repair if the labor cost (which warranties often exclude) averages less than $50 per year over the years left in the warranty. Otherwise, buy a new one, especially if the warranty has run out.

Our tests through winter snow and summer heat also show that what you save with solar and tankless systems can vary significantly based on which one you buy and where you live. We also tested an add-on heat pump that, because of high maintenance, costs far more than its low price suggests.

27
Dec

Sewer cleaning can be done in two ways.

If you want to go do it by yourself and avoid professional fees, go DIY. This is advisable when the blockage is minor. However, for more severe blockages, it is highly recommended to call professional Washington DC service techs to ensure that it gets fixed promtly and efficiently.

There are a lot of equipments available out there but the most popular is the drain snake or the drain auger. We do not encourage you to use this on your own as it might coil and cut you, some people though, prefer to do the cleaning themselves and still use this for unclogging. Drain snakes are available in supplies store but the commercial ones are available for rent at an equipment rental store.

It might sound convincing to rent and do the sewer cleaning on your own, but bear in mind that unclogging an main line is not an easy task.

How A Sewer Cleaner Looks Like

A drain snake, plumbing snake or drain auger is a long flexible cable made of metal with a cone-shaped auger at the end. The ones used by DIYer in their homes are smaller versions of the commercial ones. It resembles a snake hence the name and used by pushing its end into the clogged drain as it turns. It is flexible so it twists and turn until it reaches the obstruction without being stuck. This twisting motion hooks and pulls the obstruction out of the drain.

Types of Drain Augers

There are two types of home drain augers, one for toilets and another one for other drains. The reason why we cannot use the same drain auger on any other drain and the one in the toilet is obvious. Aside that that obvious reason, the toilet drain auger also has a plastic auger protecting the porcelain from being scratched by the metal cable and auger.

Now that you already have an idea on the physical characteristics of drain snakes and how it is normally used, ask yourself if you still want to do sewer cleaning in Washington DC on your own. We highly recommend you to call local plumbers like Plumbers 911 to ensure that your sewer problem is solved quickly and efficiently.

24
Nov

Hey guys! Mark here, your resident music lover. Today’s post is sort of off-topic. I won’t be writing about music today. Instead, I would like to talk about the importance of fixing a plumbing leak immediately. And when I say plumbing leak, it’s either a drip from a water supply pipe or a drainage pipe. Both are equally inconvenient, if you’ll ask me. A dripping water supply pipe will surely make your water bill soar and also contribute to water wastage. A drainage pipe leak will, of course, result to more trouble. Talk about flooding and property damage! For these very reasons, it is vital that homeowners like us discover the leaking pipe and apply the necessary solution right away. If you want to learn how to find a plumbing leak on your own, here are some tips that I, myself, follow. Read on! It will be great to learn something new today, won’t it?

Check your water meter. Turn the main water supply valve off and observe if the meter will still run. If it will, there’s a leak somewhere in your water supply system.

If you have a hot water heater, check its tank and its pressure relief valve. A hissing sound will suggest a flow of water so you should have it inspected by an emergency plumber in Overland Park.

Your toilets are vulnerable to leaking, too. Add a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the water in the bowl turns the same color, there’s a leak between the tank and the bowl. Usually, this is caused by worn out parts like the flapper.

Don’t forget to inspect your hose bibs. They wear out over time and when they do, they may also leak.

These are only some of the things that you can do to find out if you have a plumbing leak at home. For pipes that are not exposed or those that are underground, you should consider paying for a leak detection in Overland Park. There are surely a lot of trusted plumbing companies out there who can help you out!

I hope you learned a lot of things today. Let me leave you with this video that features tips on how to repair a leak.

8
Jul

Image by anankkml at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Given the change of our climate and extreme weather conditions, any time there can be drastic changes in the temperature anytime. That being said, you want to be sure that your HVAC system is working properly. Having no air conditioning in the middle of summer can be a dangerous situation, especially if you have young children, or an elderly relative living at home.

Children and elderly are the first to suffer the effects of high temperatures, and it can quickly turn from uncomfortable, to dangerous. To make sure that you are in the best position to protect yourself and your loved ones, make sure that you have air conditioning repair and maintenance performed. You can count on professional services to understand the danger of your situation and make it their top priority to get your heating repair or your air conditioner repair handled quickly and as painlessly as possible.

When To Call In The Pros

It’s the middle of summer, and you hear a loud clang, and slowly but surely the temperature of your home begins to rise. Finding an HVAC professional in Boston MA will be your best choice, any attempts to repair it yourself aren’t advisable.

No matter how handy you may be, working on this type of appliance requires a high level of training, and tinkering with it can leave you with a higher repair cost than you would have had to begin with. Professionals will be able to come out and quickly and cleanly repair your air conditioning unit with ease. So, at the first sign of trouble, be sure to call in a professional.

Consequences of a Malfunctioning HVAC System

A non-functioning HVAC system can be more than just an inconvenience, it can be downright dangerous. This is even truer if you live in an area where the temperatures in the summer soar above the 100 mark, or dip below freezing in the winter. Children and older family members are especially susceptible to these extreme temperatures.

Image by ddpavumba at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you are dealing with either too hot or too cold conditions, you can be putting your loved ones at risk. To avoid this you want to make sure that the heating and air conditioning unit is in the best condition. Having someone come out and do any needed work can be one way to deal with the problem.

1
Jul

My name’s Mark Garcia and I’m the owner of this blog site.

Image by zirconicusso at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

First of all, I want to welcome you all to my humble online abode. I decided to put up this site to share my life and my DIY know-how to everyone. So please bear with me if I’m not that great in English or if have grammatical errors. I wasn’t born a writer. You might find a lot of typos or technical writing mistakes on my posts but when it comes to DIY plumbing, electrical projects and home improvement, I swear I’m the right person to consult.

Secondly, I want to say that I am more than just a home improvement guy. I love classical literature, most especially prose and poetry. I am into rock music and you’ll find me happily playing my guitar when I’m not fixing anything. I love cooking, too. When I’m too stressed out and want to relax, I go to the kitchen and cook my favorite dishes.

Well, there are still a lot more that I want to say about myself. But I guess I’d let you get to know me with every post that I’ll publish.